June 12, 2017

Hello summer! Clarins recently launched their limited edition Sunkissed Summer Make-Up Collection. I am so in love with this collection because it really makes your skin look amazing! I love the oversized shape of the Clarins Bronzing & Blush Compact. (Trust me, this will last you a long time.) The 4-Colour Eyeshadow palette has warm colors that are flattering for everyone. I love how this entire collection works together seamlessly to create a easy summer look!

I have been using this bronzer and blush compact every day now and I love the sun-kissed glow it gives me. The shade of apricot blush warms my entire complexion and really compliments the three colors of the bronzer. It's the perfect travel companion because it's really all you need for bronzer + blush this summer. Because it's Clarins, there are also skin care properties in here too! White Tea and Succory Dock-Cress extracts help protect skin against the harmful effects of pollution. The oversized compact is stunning with it's leaf and plant design on the cover.

This eyeshadow palette really compliments my brown eyes and warms up my lids for summer. I like to go light in the summer so I have been using the middle two colors (copper and taupe) softly on my eyelids. The eyeshadow is formulated with 100% mineral pigments and pure plant extracts making the eyeshadows really blendable and buildable. The eyeshadow compact also has the pretty leaf and flower design on the cover.

These limited edition colors of Gold and Copper for the waterproof eyeliners are pure showstoppers! I love lining the my lids with both colors. It really compliments the eyeshadow palette and makes them pop! I love the shadow smudger that's on the other end of the liner to help you blend in your liner.

Here are swatches of the eyeliner and eyeshadow on my skin: Copper eyeliner, Gold eyeliner, 4-colour eye palette colors from darkest to lightest.

June 06, 2017

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to visit the new Saje Natural Wellness Boutique in San Francisco (1913 Fillmore Street). This Canadian brand has made its way to the U.S. with San Francisco as it's first Bay Area boutique. (Soon, it will open in Corte Madera too.) The airy, open and beautiful store had my mind racing to see which section I would check out first. I headed to the natural oil section first to see what was there. As an allergy sufferer, especially this spring, I was introduced to their natural soothing oil blend, Inhale that helps with allergies and clearing sinuses. I am not a big aromatherapy person and I'm pretty sensitive to smells but everything inside Saje smelled wonderful. No scent was too strong or irritating. That was the first surprise to me. In fact, the inhale oil is something that I use now often to help with my sinus. It really works!

All of the sales associates inside the boutique are really helpful. Just let them know what you are interested in to make you feel better whether it's lack of sleep, stress, pain, etc. The founder of the company, husband and wife team, Jean-Pierre and Kate LeBlanc wanted a natural way to ease Jean-Pierre's chronic pain after a serious car accident. Jean-Pierre used his chemistry background to create natural plant-based formulas for wellness. There is so much healing power in plants! Some of his blends have earned National Heath Registration numbers from Health Canada (which means the Canadian government supports their products' beneficial health claims). I am so glad that we have Saje now in SF! I am always looking to bring in more natural products into my daily life and using their products has been really great. If you aren't in the Bay Area, don't worry. You can purchase Saje products from their website saje.com.

Saje was nice to let me pick a few items of theirs to try out and review. Here are some of the products that I am loving from Saje:

The oil comes in a handy rollerball which you can easily roll on your face. Roll it below your eyes and sinus area on your forehead. Once I have done that I tap all around the area to let the oil set into my skin. (There is a how-to video on the product page.) The result? My sinus congestion melts away and I can breathe again!

I love this 100% natural vegetable fiber sponge enriched with green tea extract. It protects your skin from damaging environmental influences and helps prevent dehydration. The sponge is hard to being with so make sure you soak the sponge in warm water for a few minutes to get it all soft. Then add your cleanser to the sponge and with a circular motion massage your face. You can use the edges to really cleanse nose area well. (You can also use just wet without a cleanser too.) The result for me is extra soft skin. After cleansing, I rinse out the sponge and squeeze out the excess water. I hang the string so it can dry on my bathtub faucet. You can also place it inside it's case which has openings on the top and bottom, but I find it dries faster while hanging. I have been using this everyday for my nightly cleansing routine for the last few weeks. Since I have been doing this, I have not had any breakouts during my last period cycle. Saje also sells a few other kinds of vegetable cleansing sponges so you can choose one that's best for you.

This exfoliating cleanser is so soft on the skin. The tiny beads are not coarse, they are really, super soft and working this into your skin feels really good. The cleanser uses the gentle exfoliating effects of oats and rice with Neroli to let skin regenerate and Ylang Ylang to comfort and soothe skin. I use this twice a week to get rid of dead skin cells. Again, since I have been using this I have had no breakouts in my last period cycle. I feel like all my pores are really clean.

Ok can I just say that the Saje bath salts are pure heaven?! The Cellucleanse is made with purifying Himalayan pink salts along with essential oils. The key to the benefits of the salts is to not add them into your bath until you are about ready to get in. Otherwise, the essential oils will dissipate once they hit the hot water. One you slip in the bathtub - pure heaven! Bath salts are a great way to relieve stress and toxins in your body. Just remember to drink plenty of water to help flush out the toxins.

The Goddess scent is one of my favorites from Saje. It comes in many different forms from these bath salts to natural perfume. It's a sweet floral blend of Jasmineylang Ylang, Ylang Ylang and Rose. Very soft and feminine. I like this as a end of week Sunday night bath as a ritual for myself before the crazy week starts again. When I head back to the boutique, I'm going to pick up the natural perfume Goddess. It's a rollerball perfume with a gemstone rose quartz rollerball so you also get some energy work from the crystal. (Each fragrance has their own gemstone rollerball.)

I made a move recently to do away with commercial hand soap and use only natural or organic liquid soaps for my family. This Saje hand soap in the scent Liquid Sunshine is a fresh, citrus scent that wakes up your senses. My 8 year old loves it and it promotes her to wash her hands more often because she loves the smell.

If you are looking for new things to try, take a look at Kate's Favs. Her picks change each month and they display them in store also. That is how I discovered the hand soap!

Shop Saje Natural Wellness at saje.com or visit their boutique at 1913 Fillmore Street, San Francisco.

May 25, 2017

I have been using two products from VI Derm that I have been really loving. The skin care line rests under the parent company, VI Aesthetics which creates products to address acne, pigmentation and anti-aging.

I'm a huge believer in vitamin C for the skin and I really love using the VI Derm Vitamin C Gel ($80 at Dermstore). I use this only in the morning after I've cleansed my skin. This is my first step in the morning after I apply my facial cleansing water and before I put on my moisturizer. The clear gel is light and fragrance-free. It absorbs quickly into the skin. This gel will also help diminish the appearance of dark spots and give you a brighter, even skin tone. It's also paraben-free and sulfate-free.

To help brighten my skin I chose the serum, VI Derm Clear HQ Free ($60 at Dermstore). This version is free of hydroquinone which is a controversial skin lightening element. I have noticed my skin tone has become more even and it is working it's magic on an acne mark that happened last month. This serum contains Vitamin A to even out pigmentation, licorice root to help brighten and even out skin tone by decreasing melanin production, kojic acid to reduce discoloration and brighten complexion, retinol to fight of signs of aging and exfoliate and arbutus to help inhibit pigment formation.

This is also the first thing I apply to a clean face at night after my facial essence water. It's fragrance-free and feel so light and wonderful on my skin. It's the perfect time to use this now with summer beginning as I want to avoid getting any more sun spots on my face!

Right now at Dermstore, you can get 20% off site wide for Memorial Day weekend. Code is MDSALE20 and works now through 5/3017.

May 19, 2017

Lip oil glosses are now quickly growing in popularity. You get all the shine while also hydrating your lips! I love the Clarins Instant Light Lip Oil Comfort Oil ($26) for their plant-based ingredients such as raspberry and jojoba. There are four new colors this season and they all look really amazing. The Mint color (06) is a perfect clear gloss to wear over lipsticks or just your lips. The cooling oil keeps your lips moisturized and hydrated and I love the tints of color and shine in the new collection.Candy (04) and Tangerine (05) react to the natural pH of your lips and will give you a personalized shade of pink or coral. Finally, Honey Glam (07) gives your lips some sparkly shimmer! I love that it's got great shine without being gloopy like most lip glosses are. It's the perfect way to get a shine on your lips this summer.

May 18, 2017

I'm so excited because today the Kiehl's Friends and Family sale starts. This sale only happens once a year and you can get 20% off your purchase starting today through May 22nd. Just click on the image above to print out and take it into your Kiehl's boutique or use the code FRIENDS when you checkout at Kiehls.com.

If you are heading to a Kiehl's boutique, let me suggest getting one of the Kiehl's Apothocary Preparations. You can read my review about it from last November here. It's only at select Kiehl's throughout the country. You work with a Kiehl's skin care specialist to get a personalized serum for your skin. The whole assessment only takes 10-15 minutes and it's so worth it! I'm almost done with my bottle which I have been using every night since I've received it. I have noticed my skin feels smooth and my hyperpigmention (sun spots) on my cheek are less apparent.

May 17, 2017

MDSUN is a skin care line launched by plastic surgeon Dr. George Sun. Dr. Sun was looking to create products that really worked while being gentle on the skin. I got a chance to try out a couple of his products.

First off is the MDSUN Skin Exfoliation Pads ($78). These thin and soft pads remove pore-clogging debris with ingredients such as glycolic acid, polyhydroxy acid, lactobionic acid and essential vitamins. Usually when I have used these kinds of pads, it feels coarse to my skin. These pads are so soft! There's no grainy texture or harsh movement necessary to literally exfoliate. I really like the idea about exfoliating without realizing it. I have been using it twice a week, replacing my exfoliation scrub I usually use. I have sensitive skin and worked perfectly.

To apply, I first clean my entire face. I then take a single exfoliation pad and wipe it all over my face, avoiding my eye area. I leave it on. I don't apply my nighttime routine (toner, cream, etc.) until at least 30 minutes later. I like to let it sit on my skin and work it's magic. I like this system so much better as the whole act of exfoliating is non-invasive -- you aren't rubbing your skin with grains or beads that can harm it.

One skin care product I always love to try is eye creams. It's important to find one that has a good texture and that really hydrates that delicate eye area. MDSUN's Intensive Eye Gel ($105) is one of the best I have ever tried. No wonder it's one of their most popular products. It takes a few pumps to get a new bottle going but you only need 1 pump a night and in the morning. I usually do a pump and warm it between a couple of my fingers and dab it every so lightly under my eye and along the bone on the tops of my eyes. The formula is this wonderful yellow gel that absorbs quickly into the skin. The formula contains a blend of ingredients for anti-aging, brightening and hydrating -- sodium hyaluronate, coenzyme q10 and vitamin E. Vitamin C and K reduce under-eye puffiness and dark circles which has helped since I have recently been suffering major allergies. I really love how it feels on the skin!

May 09, 2017

With the warm weather hitting the Bay Area these past couple of weeks, I have made sure I've been applying my sunscreen. Clinique has some really great ones -- made without parabens, perfect for sensitive skin and is fragrance free! On a recent day trip to Napa, the CLINIQUE Virtu-oil Body Mist Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($32 at Sephora) was the perfect sunscreen spray for my exposed arms and legs. I loved how easy it was to apply and how lightweight and moisturizing the mist was. It immediately absorbs into your skin and there is no sticky residue. You get high level UVA/UVB protection.

For the face, I am loving the CLINIQUE Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen Face Cream ($23 at Sephora, also in SPF 50). This is the perfect sunscreen / face cream. It contains mineral sunscreen with both Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. It is perfect for easy no-makeup days and it's nice to know that my face is hydrated while being protected from the sun. I live the small size of the tube making it easy to keep in your handbag or tote to reapply. The oil-free cream is lightweight, not-greasy and the added antioxidants protect your skin from environmental pollution. It's also water and sweat resistant on those extra hot days. I've also been using it on my 8 year old's face too since her skin got dried out from La Roche Posay. She has really sensitive skin and it's been working perfectly!

May 03, 2017

Are you a Clinique Chubby Stick lover like me? Out now is the new CLINIQUE Chubby Plump & Shine Liquid Lip Plumping Gloss ($17 at Sephora). I am such a huge Chubby Stick fan. I love the ease of use. For the gloss, it's just as simple. You just turn the end of the Chubby stick to release the gloss. The angled tip lets you apply it easily.
The gloss comes in a variety of colors. I have it in 01 'normous nude and 07 goliath grape which I have watched above. I love layering the nude over any color lipstick to give it an awesome shine. These glosses are perfect for an easy, breezy lip shine for summer. Perfect size for your mini bags!
Purchase the CLINIQUE Chubby Plump & Shine Liquid Lip Plumping Gloss at Sephora.Review product provided by Clinique

May 01, 2017

Over the past year, I have been updating you lovelies on the happenings with Project Glimmer, a San Francisco based non-proflt that gives gifts of jewelry, accessories, new beauty products and gift cards to at-risk teen girls and women nationwide. This Mother's Day, you can give a donation to a mother and have your mom receive a beautiful Mother's Day card in the mail commemorating your donation in her honor.

For every $5 donation, an underserved mother will receive a beautiful Mother's Day gift.

If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, don't miss Project Glimmer's Uncorked Event. The event is happening this Wednesday, May 3rd from 6:30pm-9pm at the Fort Mason Historic Firehouse (2 Marina Boulevard in San Francisco). It's an evening of wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres and live music benefiting Project Glimmer and the underserved mothers in our communities. Learn all about the art of wine from boutique wineries including MacRostie, Crosby Roman, Meyer Family Vineyards, Bruliam Wines, Long Meadow Ranch and Hale Mary. There will also be a raffle where you can win a host of incredible prizes!